Xanthophytes live in both fresh and marine waters. Almost all xanthophytes reproduce exclusively asexually. Some filamentous forms reproduce by division, but most produce spores. Organisms of genusBotrydium possess isogamoussexual reproduction, while those of Vaucheria utilize oogamous sexual reproduction.

Xanthophyta is probably closely related to Phaeophyta, the phylum that contains kelps and brown algae. There are no known Xanthophytic fossils. The absence of fossils is probably due to the fact that the silaceous cysts in their cell walls have not been extensively studied.